


Giraffes Eat Candy and Fruit

by Khafushun



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But you can ignore that if you want, FiKi Week, FiKi Week Day 4: Music, Fili is the best older brother, Fíli and Kíli Brotherly Love, Gen, Kíli might have a bit of a crush, Not as weird as the title would suggest, Orchestra, Viola players, violas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 11:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4099855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khafushun/pseuds/Khafushun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the FiKi Week prompt "music": Fili asks Kili to play a duet with him at their spring concert. Kili agrees, but he's terrified he's going to mess the whole thing up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Giraffes Eat Candy and Fruit

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written for Day 4 of FiKi Week, and you can find the original post [here](http://khafushun.tumblr.com/post/120076038112/fiki-week-music) with links to the song that inspired this!
> 
> Also, just in case anyone is wondering, the viola is an instrument that's actually fairly similar to the violin. It's played the same way, but it's slightly larger, and the strings are different as well, giving it a lower range. In fact, the violin and viola are both descendents of the [medieval fiddle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vielle), which is probably the instrument that Fili and Kili would have played in _The Hobbit_. So, for me, it makes just as much sense for a modern version of the boys to play the viola, since the modern violin didn't exist in the medieval period either!
> 
> I'll, uh, stop there before I get too carried away, haha.

**"Giraffes Eat Candy and Fruit"**

 

_The lights are hot and blinding. Kili can barely see into the audience, but he knows there are hundreds of eyes on him now, waiting, soon to be judging. With a shaking hand, he raises his viola, tucks it under his chin, and takes a deep breath. He thinks he’s about to be sick._

_It’s nearly time to start. Kili looks across the stage at Fili, who seems remarkably composed for the occasion. It isn’t fair._ Kee, it’s just a solo, _he tells himself._ It’s not the end of the world. And you’re not alone; Fili’s going to be right here playing with you.

_That seems to be the message his brother wants to send as well, as his blue eyes lock onto Kili’s with a confidence – a confidence in **him** – that Kili can’t help but find reassuring. “You ready?” Fili mouths, and, trembling, Kili nods his head._

_Fili signals the conductor, and together, they begin._

 

* * *

“Hey Kee, can I ask you a favor?”

It’s difficult to hear his brother over the din of the cafeteria, but Kili looks up from his phone at once. Fili, asking _him_ for a favor? “Sure, anything,” he responds, hoping he doesn’t sound overeager. “What’s up?”

Fili laughs awkwardly. “Don’t agree until you hear me out, all right? You may not want to do it.”

Kili scowls. He knows it’s an ugly look, but he can’t help it. If Fili needs something _that_ important, then shouldn’t it be obvious Kili would help? He hates to admit it, but his brother’s lack of faith in him stings. “Just spit it out already. What do you want?”

If Fili notices his brother’s dark mood, he makes no comment on it. Instead he says, “There’s a piece I want to play for our spring concert. I already got the OK from Mr. Grey, but I need someone to play second viola.” It goes without saying that Fili, as principal, would be the first.

It takes a minute for the implication to sink in. “Wait, you want _me_ to be second?” Kili gasps. “I’m only fifth chair, shouldn’t Ori do it?”

Fili shakes his head dismissively. “You’re fifth chair only because you’re an underclassman, not because you’re not good enough. And, no disrespect to Ori, but this is a really hard piece. I kind of got the impression he didn’t want to do it, but either way, it doesn’t matter.” He stares at Kili rather deliberately then, and his expression softens. _“You’re_ the one I want up there on stage with me. This is my last concert before I graduate.”

Kili doesn’t like to think about Fili graduating, or the fact that, soon, Fili will be leaving home for someplace Kili can’t follow. So instead he focuses on the small burst of pride bubbling in his chest at the thought that Fili trusts _him_ to play this piece over everyone else in their viola section.

There’s just one thing still bothering him. “What does it really matter, though?” he asks sullenly. “Even if the piece is hard, no one ever listens to the violas. Whether it’s me up there or Ori, if we mess up no one will ever notice!”

“Oh, did I forget to mention the best part?” Fili asks, just a little too casually. “It’s a concerto for the viola, which means–”

Kili’s face lights up. “It’s a solo?”

“Yep,” Fili says, grinning widely. “In fact, there are no violin parts. At all. It’s just going to be you, me, and a few cellos – but this time _they’re_ going to be the ones keeping time for _us.”_

It’s an exhilarating thought, and for a moment Kili thinks of Legolas, the principal of the first violins who always gets the most impressive solos. He’s also an insufferable showoff, and Kili can’t help but imagine what it would feel like to see the blond forced to the sidelines for once. Briefly, he loses himself in the fantasy, in the sound of applause that’s already practically ringing in his ears, because Kili can’t deny that he’d like the spotlight, too, and Fili–

Well. Kili knows he may be biased when it comes to his brother, but if there’s one thing he’s absolutely certain of, it’s this: Fili is one of the most talented members of the orchestra. And he _never_ gets the recognition he deserves. Kili would do anything to make the world see just how good Fili is, and if this is what it takes… Well, there’s really no question about it.

“I’m in,” he says decisively, and tries to ignore the strange feeling that flutters in his chest as Fili’s expression immediately melts into one of gratitude.

He just has to hope he’s not going to regret this.

 

* * *

  _They begin in unison._

_Note for note, bow stroke for bow stroke, they play together as one. A strange calmness comes over Kili as they play, because he knows Fili is here with him, giving him a confidence that he could have never found on his own._

_Soon Fili takes the lead, playing a quick string of notes that Kili echoes. They call to each other, back and forth, back and forth, passing the melody between them. Occasionally, one breaks away, to harmonize or play a supporting rhythm, but always, they find their way back to each other. It is a duel, but it is also an affirmation, a proclamation of solidarity, because when they are together they sound stronger than ever. Together, they are at their best._

_All too soon, Fili must break away again, and this is the part Kili dreads. The part that, no matter what he does, no matter how hard he practices, he just can’t get right._

_Fili calls to him, playing notes at a breakneck pace, and soon Kili will have to answer him in kind, but he knows he can’t… he can’t…_

 

* * *

 “–I can’t _do_ this!”

Kili growls in frustration and stops playing at once. Their spring concert is in less than a week, and no matter what he does, he just _can’t_ get this part right.

Fili gently sets his viola down, and looks at his brother with concern in his eyes. “Kee, just relax. I know it’s tough, but you play it perfectly every time we slow this section down–”

“Doesn’t matter if I can play it slow; it’s supposed to be _fast—”_

“And you’ll get there. We both will.” Fili smiles at him. “I had trouble with it too, at first, but you’re doing great, you’re almost there…”

But Kili is in no mood to listen; all of his insecurities are gnawing at him from the inside out, and he can’t stop himself from blurting, “I’m going to ruin everything.”

Fili frowns. “Kili, that’s impossible–”

“No, you don’t understand,” Kili insists. “No one takes us seriously. They think we’re a joke, that viola is easy, and we need to prove–”

“We don’t need to prove anything,” Fili says firmly. “I really don’t care what the violin players think. Or even the audience, when it comes down to it.”

Kili’s face twists with confusion. “But then what’s the _point?”_

Fili is quiet for a moment. Then: “You’re not having fun?”

Something in his brother’s voice is sad, and now all Kili feels is guilt. “Of course I am,” he says, and that’s true, perhaps _too_ true, because he loves spending time with Fili like this, just the two of them. He swallows. “It’s just…”

_I don’t want to let you down. I want the world to know how great you are, but how can I **do** that when I keep messing up?_

But of course, he can’t say any of that.

“Come on,” Fili says eventually. “We’ll slow it down again and gradually increase the tempo.” He stoops to pick up his viola, then turns to give Kili a hard look. “And have _fun_ with it this time, would ya?”

Kili can’t stop a brief smile from stretching across his face. He’s got the message. “I’ll give it a try,” he murmurs.

 

* * *

  _And this time, it works._

_He’s nervous, yes, and for a second he feels the old doubt returning, but Kili pushes it down and draws strength from Fili. It isn’t perfect, of course it isn’t, but it doesn’t need to be. He knows that now._

_Too soon, they’re starting the last refrain, and Kili looks up from his sheet music to find Fili is already looking at him. They lock gazes and smile, letting instinct take over; maybe they’re playing the right notes, and then again maybe they’re not. It doesn’t matter; Kili lets the music – Fili’s music, **theirs** – wash over him, lets it flow. He’s having the time of his life and he knows, somehow, that Fili is, too. _

_And then it’s over. He can’t quite believe it, and his heart is pounding like he’s just finished a marathon. He can’t stop looking at Fili, can’t stop smiling._

_He supposes they must have done something right, because the applause is deafening, and it takes everything in him not to rush over and throw his arms around Fili, because they did it, they were amazing, and he hopes it was everything that Fili wanted. Kili knows he’s gotten what_ he _wanted from it, at least. Perhaps too much._

_If he has one regret, it’s that he knows he doesn’t want this to be the last time they play together, and already he’s terrified that it will be. These are not the kinds of thoughts he should be thinking as they take their final bow on stage, still basking in the limelight, but he can’t stop. He feels closer to Fili now than he ever has before, all those hours of practice together, and now this. It can’t end this way. He’s on the cusp of understanding something – something terrible, perhaps, but_ something _all the same. But he doesn’t know yet, and he needs more time, another song…_

 

* * *

 

“Thanks, Kee,” Fili says to him as they leave the auditorium that night. He smiles, and his teeth glint in the lamplight. “You did great.”

“Hey, anytime,” Kili returns, still mulling over his feelings. “And thanks, so did you.”

Fili stops, viola case swinging in hand ever so slightly, and raises an eyebrow. “Anytime, huh? You mean that? You’d… you’d do this again?”

“Yeah, why not?” Kili asks, feeling defensive. “It was fun, wasn’t it?”

Fili looks at him for a moment, then nods once, approvingly. “Yeah, it was.” He starts walking again. “All right, then we’ll do this again sometime.”

But Kili knows his brother well enough by now to realize that’s not all he’s thinking. “But…?”

“Well, I’m going to have to come up with another piece!” Fili laughs. “You said it yourself, everyone thinks the viola sucks. There’s not a lot to choose from out there!”

“Oh,” he sighs, “that’s it?” And then he’s laughing too. “I’m sure we’ll come up with something,” he eventually manages, and suddenly he feels better than he has all evening, because Kili knows this isn’t the end, but the beginning.

 

_~fin~_

**Author's Note:**

> If you wondering about the giraffes... It's just a mnemonic device to help new viola players learn how to read alto clef. It's not commonly taught (I think some random guy on the internet came up with it??), but it made me laugh and I couldn't think of anything better for the title, so.
> 
> Anyway, that's it! Thanks for reading, and let me know if anything's confusing? I freely admit, this whole thing is fairly self indulgent - I really just wanted to read a fic with Fili and Kili as viola players! So if you like the idea, you are MORE than welcome to "steal" it, haha!


End file.
